Firelord and Lady
by StillThereForMe
Summary: Haru has been forced to become the new Firelady. warning: dark


Another Writing Meme fic, this time on the prompt by beckyh2112 of "Azula as Firelord and Haru as her Firelady".

Warning: Not a happy fic in the _least_.

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**Firelord and Lady**

By: StillThereForMe

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Haru didn't blame anyone else.

Despite how sickening it felt in these silk red robes, and ridiculous his hair adorned with royal ornaments, he couldn't bring himself to hate anyone else for bringing him to this. Not Aang who lost against the Phoenix King (though it is not known whether he was killed or captured), not Sokka or Toph, captured by the Fire Nation fleet or Suki who fell with the one of the few airships that group had managed to destroy. Not even Hakoda and his father and his group who had still yet to be seen since they split when the Western Air Temple was attacked.

The only reason he was in this situation, was himself.

It had seemed like the perfect idea at the time--Azula would not have been able to take on three benders. Fire, water, earth, powerful or not how could she fight three elements with only her fire? But then Zuko insisted on taking her on his own, and then she attacked Katara with lightening instead. Haru should've used an earth shield to protect her, but he'd be so surprised and shocked he ran in front of her instead. And while Zuko was yelling at him, Azula attack him with lightening to the back.

Cackling, Azula then began to fight Katara while Haru could barely move, and couldn't even see Zuko from his position. Katara almost had her at one point above some drain, bringing the water up and freezing it, but then Azula shot out a flame through the ice at Haru while he was lying down, burning his leg. Katara screamed, lost concentration on her trap and shot water after the flame before it could spread, and Azula kicked her head with her foot on fire.

Katara fell screaming, and Azula proceeded to kick and stomp on various parts of the poor Water Tribe girl's body. Katara continued to try and sit up and fight back, but she was severely weakened and could not do much against an incited and insane Azula.

"I have to say, you're much more difficult to take down than I would've thought!" Azula commented, shooting fire right by Katara's waist.

Katara only screamed in pain, and then glared. She tried to sit up, but fell back quickly.

Azula kneeled down by her, and brought a finger to Katara's cheek, and slid it down to her chest, staring but not really looking at Katara.

"Who would've guessed there'd be so much fire in a waterbender...?" Azula questioned somewhat softly, Haru could barely hear. She then stood up, and made three small flames in her hand, moving them in a circle never leaving her hand. "You know, as new Firelord, I'm supposed to take a Firelady too... and since the whole world is now Fire Nation, it would probably help or look good politically to have something like a Water Tribe girl, especially one with as much fire as you...what do you say?"

Katara made an odd sound, something like an indignant squeak, and then seemed to regain some energy because she swung her arm around and hit Azula with a water whip so hard she fell back. Katara managed to pull herself up to a sitting position, and tried to move herself behind a pole, but Azula was on her feet too quickly.

"Oh? That's certainly not the right way to treat your new Firelord! Perhaps I'd be able to convince you to me more cooperative...!" Azula announced in her frightening tone, summoning lightening to her fingers.

Katara's eyes went wide, a horrific expression on her face matching Haru's. Katara had done an amazing job withstanding and stay fighting against Azula's flames, but there was no way she'd be able to stand--maybe not even live--torture through lightening. Haru reached out a hand and it fell towards the ground--and then remembered being prone did not mean he couldn't earthbend.

Azula began to run back towards Katara, when the earth around her feet shot up to her ankles, toppling her down, lightening going all around before disappearing.

"WHO DID THAT?" Azula screamed as she quickly stood up again, wide frightening eyes landing on Haru's prone form.

Haru pushed himself up on his arms as best he could.

"I'm not letting you take Katara!" Haru shouted with more courage than he had.

"Oh? You're not?" Azula stared at him, then shot some small flames towards his face quickly, burning off his moustache and making him scream. "Hmm…without the disgusting facial hair you don't look too horrible. And I guess an Earth peasant looks about as good as a Water Tribe peasant. I'm assuming you are volunteering to take her place as my new Firelady?"

"What?" was the only thing that came out of Haru's mouth.

"Well, if the worst you could do was make me trip with all your earth, that's proof enough that you can't fight. And she's barely got anything left in her either. So there's no way you are winning. And I need a new Firelady. And without the ridiculous caterpillar-worm on your lip, you look pretty enough. So, do you want to take her place as my Firelady?"

Haru looked over towards Katara, who was just staring at them frightened and shaking. "Fine! I'll take her place! Just, don't shoot any lightening at her!"

"Fair enough." Azula smirked and turned towards the Water Tribe girl, and raised her arm. From her palm, a huge blue flame erupted and engulfed Katara, so much that all that could be seen was the blue fire, and a shadow of a body.

Haru still cannot get the ringing from her screams to leave his ears.

Azula just laughed, and explained "I wouldn't have wanted her to get jealous."  
So here Haru was now, putting on Fire Nation makeup with help from his handmaidens in his royal suite. He sees no point in trying to escape. Zuko is locked up in a different chamber, barely alive and only stares ahead of him at the wall with the most terribly sad gaze--Haru can't stand to go in there and visit him more than once a week the most. Zuko had been that way since Azula burned Iroh alive in front of him. There has been no news on any of their former team since Azula informed them of their captures or deaths. But she only mentioned Aang had lost, not whether her father had killed him or what he had done with the Avatar.

Haru makes sure to carefully shave any facial hair he sees growing, or Azula will burn it off again. He really doesn't understand why she insists on getting him all dressed up to follow her around all day. She's never shown the slightest bit of interest in him, and mostly he just listens to her ramblings of how happy and wonderful she claims it is to be Firelord. But then she goes on and on about her former life and how her father hasn't talked to her at all since she beat them and then makes him go to prison with her to visit her former friends--Mai and Ty Lee Haru has since learned--and scream at them for betraying her.

Aside from meetings and banishings and unbanishings, this how most of the days go. Once she did throw him on bed, claiming that Lo and Li had told her it would probably be wise to produce an heir, but then she just stared at him and walked out and never brought the subject up again.

But when he walked into her chamber then after readying himself, he saw her sitting on her bed, staring out her window.

"Leave us!" She snapped to his handmaidens and her servants in the room.

Haru moved forward, not knowing what else to do, and stood waiting.

Finally Azula spoke, still not looking at him. "I am Firelord Azula, probably the second most powerful person in this entire world."

"Yes, you are." Haru answered, not wanting to be admonished for staying silent but didn't know what else to say.

"You haven't tried to attack or kill me since I brought you here. You don't even protest against wearing the outfit appropriate for the Firelady. You never even argue with me." Though she was speaking directly to him, she only moved her eyes, not her head, to stare at him.

"No..." Haru agreed, unsure of how to respond again. Azula never really acknowledge he was there unless he was doing something wrong. Usually she just rambled on as if she were talking only to herself. He didn't know how to react when she was actually speaking to him.

"You're not smart enough to be plotting anything either." Azula stated, though still looking at him, as if searching for some reaction that she was wrong, but got none. She then sighed and looked down. "Which is actually smart because what would you do if you actually managed to attack me? You know nothing of whether or not there are even any protests or rebellions, or where they would be. There's no one in this castle who would help you. Even my brother has long since given up on trying to fight me or get away. There would be nowhere for you to run to. And if there was, no one would trust you because the only clothes you could wear would be those of the Fire Nation. You don't know where your friends are, or how many are even alive. It'd be stupid to try and attack or escape."

"I know." Haru sighed. Although truthfully, he had never even thought of trying to attack or escape. Any anger or indignity he felt was quickly overpowered by the memory of Katara burning alive because he took her place. There was nothing that he could be put through that was worse than that.

Azula looked down, with an expression that was almost sad. "My father is controlling most of this world. It is of course such a great honor to be trusted with the honor of being crowned Firelord. But... I don't know what to do now."

"I don't know either." Haru agreed, and for some reason felt sure enough to sit down next to Azula.

She didn't get angry or indignant or anything though. She simply looked at him; with an expression that Haru was sure was sadness this time. Then shocked Haru by leaning against his silk-robed shoulder.

"I hate this."

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